


This May Mean You'll Have To Be A Stronger Man

by FallLover



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: All Human AU, Anal Sex, Angst with a Hopeful Ending, Blowjobs, Cole is alive but it's not relevant?, M/M, Modern AU, basically fluff?, minor HankCon, minor smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 11:10:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17559254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallLover/pseuds/FallLover
Summary: Gavin goes on a date with Niles.





	This May Mean You'll Have To Be A Stronger Man

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [the other way to someday](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780738) by [theslap (bigspoonnoya)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigspoonnoya/pseuds/theslap). 



> This is inspired by theslap (bigspoonnoya)’s amazing “The Other Way to Someday”, but was written prior to the publication of “The Problem With Intent”. Please read both of those if you haven’t though, they are AMAZING! This story is supposed to take place after the ending of TOWTS.
> 
> The work title is from "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks.

Detective Gavin Reed is nervous. He is the last person to say he is nervous, but sometimes honesty is what he has for himself in his own damn head. But if anyone said so, he’d knock their block off. He is nervous, and he is sitting at a bar on the chance that a certain librarian is going to come join him.

            _“He’s a librarian?”_ Gavin said after what seemed like an eternity of slowly wheedling out information from his partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, about Niles, The Brother (of Hank’s boyfriend).

            _“That is in fact what I fucking said, Reed.”_

Gavin doesn’t know what to do with this information. He’s never dated a librarian before. He went out with an accountant once, when he was _really_ horny and desperate, and he even had a short thing with a file clerk, but that was about it. The best he could say was that it was good that Niles wasn’t a lawyer or another cop.

            He’s fiddling with his drink now, not sure if he should have dressed up. It’s not a fancy bar. Not a horrible bar. He’s wearing clean clothes, and he made sure they weren’t in disarray. He’s not wearing his badge or his gun. He even shaved.

            He even got there early, which… is usually not his thing. He’s not always late, but _right on time_ is more his style. He just… okay, he hasn’t been out with anyone in a while except for like two blow jobs over a month ago, and he’s really fucking nervous.

            He wonders for the third time if he’s been or is going to be stood up. Getting this thing together was a feat of wonder. The conversation in the school parking lot he’d had with Niles was a mess. He’d intended to just ask directions to the event where Anderson was, but had been distracted when he saw what looked like a model walking through the lot. Gavin’s legs had moved themselves and before he knew it, he was being glared down at by a goth Greek statue. He got out something about Anderson, not knowing what else to say, and somehow Niles had understood that and taken him to the event. He’d tried focusing on Anderson during the next conversation, feeling his heart race as Niles continued to stand close to him. Gavin was pretty sure the guy could tell he was sweating. Did that gross him out? Did it turn him on? Which of those should Gavin be more concerned about???

            In the end, Anderson had told him to shove off, and Gavin had left, with only two glances back to catch sight of Niles. The guy hadn’t even looked back at him.

            The drive with Anderson to deliver the warrant afterward had been incredibly uncomfortable as Gavin tried not to beg Niles’ contact information out of Anderson. Anderson hadn’t been in much of a mood, so Gavin hadn’t brought it up again until a few days later. Anderson had pulled him aside in the breakroom and explained, in short terms, that Niles was single, a librarian, and worked at the school. If Gavin wanted to go out with him without looking like a creep at the school, Anderson would ask Connor to waylay a message to Niles, since Anderson hated Niles’ guts apparently. Not that Gavin actually cared.

            Fast forward a week, and Niles had texted Gavin that they could meet at this bar, at this time. For a drink.

            Gavin’s fingers are on his knee under the table, tapping. He’s starting to really want a smoke.

            “Detective Reed?”

            Gavin looks up – a _long_ way up – to see Niles, standing over the table. Gavin almost leaps up. He hadn’t even heard the guy. He was just lost in thought. He’s already sweating. Niles is wearing pretty much the same thing he wore at school, except now he has a dark sweater on that says “Men Have Made A Lot of Bad Art”. Up close again, Gavin can see that he’s wearing eyeliner. It looks ridiculously attractive on him.

            Gavin puts a hand out and then flushes. What, he wants to shake hands? Like they’re at a business meeting?

            Niles looks down at the hand and raises an eyebrow, not putting his own out.

            Gavin laughs nervously – _great now he thinks I’m a psychopath_ – and waves awkwardly instead. “Yes. That’s me. Nice to uh… see you again, Niles.”

            Niles looks back up at Gavin's face. Still unsmiling. Gavin wants to melt into the floor.

            “I got us a table so you can sit if you want. I can order whatever it is you want from the bar.”

            Niles looks down at the extra chair with slight distaste, then pulls it out and sits down.  “I’ll have some scotch.”

            Gavin blinks and says, “Okay, sure. Be right back.”

            “Okay.”

            Gavin gets a glass from the bartender. Gavin returns to the table and puts the glass by Niles, who eyes it thoughtfully before pulling it closer. Gavin notes that he has black nail polish on. It makes his long, thin fingers stand out.

            Gavin sits, because thinking about the hands on a goodlooking guy right now _will not_ help things.

            “So um… why _this_ bar?” It’s not one of Gavin’s usual haunts. It’s not a terrible bar, as things go. But he has no idea what else to say.

            “It’s a usual place to meet people to have sex with, and I assumed that you drank. This bar in particular is cleaner than most, while not being ridiculously expensive.” The tone he delivers this in is like someone describing the details in a tax report. Gavin briefly recalls the accountant he had a thing with and wonders, if nothing else, whether this night will end as good as _those_ had.

            Then his brain catches up with his ears.

            “Wait, meet people to have sex with?”

            Niles blinked at him. “That _is_ why you wanted to go out with me correct? Someone you don’t at all know, have only spoken to twice, and seen once?”

            “I mean… well…” _Yes but like…_ “That wasn’t… only… uh…”

            Niles doesn’t say anything. Just continues to watch Gavin with that droll stare of his.

            “I don’t… want to give you… the wrong impression…”

            “What particular impression were you aiming for?”

            Gavin wishes someone would just pour acid on him _right now_. It would be less painful. “Um, well, you seemed… nice, when we met earlier.” _Isn’t that a thing people say to each other??_

            “Nice? At what point was I nice? Was it when I told you to back off before I called the cops for approaching me in a school parking lot or when I called you a _thing_ when I introduced you to my brother and Lieutenant Anderson?”

            Gavin blinks. He honestly has no memory of any of this. “I… um…”

            “It’s… odd, that you are somehow less verbose than Lieutenant Anderson. I didn’t know that was possible.”

            Gavin blinked. “You don’t like Anderson very much, huh?” Before he realizes 1) he doesn’t care, and 2) why is he bringing up _another dude_ at this date. But he has _no idea what else to say_.

            Niles’ gaze gets somehow _sharper_. “Yes, I don’t like the lieutenant much at all. The man’s a waste of my brother’s time.” He sniffs. “To list all his issues would take all night.”

            Gavin chuckles. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

            Niles’ sharp gaze gets the slightest bit less chilly. “What, not a fan? I thought you were partners.”

            “That doesn’t mean we’re best friends. We’ve been working together for almost a year and we’re barely on first name basis. I get along better with stray cats.”

            A slight quirk at the corner of Niles’ mouth and Gavin wonders if that somehow makes Niles happy.

            “Do you not like cats, then?”

            “Well I mean… I like cats. I have… two.”

            Niles raises an eyebrow. Gavin has four actually, but he’s not going to tell that to someone who’s already annoyed on their first date.

            “But you know, animals who aren’t used to you. They don’t like… trust you. You have to be slow and patient with them.” Gavin has no idea where he’s going with this.

            “I like cats, too,” Niles says.

            Gavin swallows. “Do you… do you have any?”

            “My last cat passed away a few months ago. I’d like to get a new one, but it’s a slow process. There’s work to deal with and everything.”

            “What kind of um… I mean, no offense, but I honestly have no idea what a librarian does. I mean I know they do things but I um… well…” Gavin’s face feels too hot and it’s distracting him from thinking straight.

            “Well I put together book events, review requests for new additions to the collection, as well as removals. There’s always the odd parent who thinks something isn’t proper for their child to read and should thus be unavailable to everyone. I do study help for students, and group resources for class projects, and review new databases for school use. I also do a lot of reading, of course. I have to check all the books ahead of time to make sure I know what’s in them, whether they’re proper for the school, where to shelve them, and what to say as a recommendation.”

            Gavin stares. “For like… a whole library? That must be a ton of reading.”

            Niles shrugs. “I enjoy it. Always something new to try. I can’t imagine how much reading a detective has to go through on a regular basis.”

            Gavin scratches his head. “Well, case files… I mean yeah, some of them are long… But you get used to it.”

            “Likewise.”

            “So do you uh… have any hobbies? Or like… no time for that?”

            “I attend concerts sometimes.”

            “Oh, what bands?”

            And so it goes for a time. Gavin doesn’t know any of the bands Niles is interested in, but getting Niles to talk about them seems to make Niles happy, and Gavin is quite happy to let someone else do the talking.

            “I sort of lied earlier,” Gavin says, once an hour has passed, and he’s slightly buzzed from his drink. “I actually have four cats.”

            Niles quirks an eyebrow.

            “So like, if this is the worst date you’ve ever been on, I’m just saying, yes, I am a crazy cat man.”

            Niles huffs in what Gavin realizes is a laugh. It’s charming.

            “This is not the worst date I’ve ever been on. But I won’t bore you with your competition.”

            “…Oh.” Gavin feels his face grow hot again.

            They do end up leaving the bar and going to Gavin’s apartment. And fucking on the couch. And in the kitchen. And in the bedroom. And in the shower while they’re cleaning off. Gavin cordoned off the cats in the litter box room beforehand.

            Niles leans his chest against Gavin’s back, panting heavily, and slightly squishing Gavin into the shower wall. Gavin is panting himself, feeling the random spray of water from Gavin’s weak showerhead occasionally bouncing over Niles and landing on Gavin. He’s got a stretched and raw feeling in his ass and junk from overuse, if he’s being honest. But he just feels too good otherwise to complain.

            Niles pulls out of Gavin’s ass and turns Gavin around, leaning down a little to kiss him, hard. Gavin reaches his left arm around Niles’ back and his right up to Niles’ head, pulling him in. Niles eventually breaks the contact, finishes cleaning himself off, and leaves the shower, leaving Gavin a bit surprised by the speed. But it _is_ a small shower. Gavin cleans himself off and walks out of the bathroom.

            Niles is standing at the bedroom door, looking around. “Where are your spare sheets?”

            Gavin looks at the bed, to see that the top sheet is bunched up on the floor.

            “Uh… in the closet down the hall. Left.”

            Niles disappears, and Gavin dries off his hair.

            Niles returns and puts the new sheet on the bed quickly while Gavin, dazed, looks on.

            “Um, you don’t have to—”

            “I’m not lying down on dirty sheets after I just showered, thank you.” Once the bed is made, he drops down on the mattress with a sigh. Gavin follows suit, lying next to him. There’s a meow and two cats hop on the bed, - Gavin hopes that Niles let them out, although he’s curious _why_ \- wandering around until they find comfortable spaces to lie down. Niles doesn’t seem bothered by them, even briefly petting them. A third hops up by Gavin and curls up between his legs. Thankfully not on his dick, for once.

            “So…” Gavin says. “That was awesome.”

            Niles does the odd huff laughter. “Yes.”

            Gavin turns his head to look at Niles. The other man has his eyes closed, hands clasped on his chest. His hair is mussed from the shower, and he’s still fully nude. But he looks… Perfect isn’t a word Gavin normally uses. But it feels like it should apply. He finds that he misses the eyeliner, but without works, too.

            Gavin falls asleep watching him. He’s too tired to think up something else to say, and Niles doesn’t say anything.

            They don’t go on another date, but they do have hookups. Mostly Niles texting something like, “Your apartment. Tonight. 8:30 PM.” Two to three times a week. Sometimes Niles brings beer. The brand Gavin likes. Niles always drinks scotch or soda. It’s a small thing, but in a relationship that is by and large physical over emotional, it’s an odd touch of thoughtfulness – the gift bringing and the desire to put Gavin at ease. Gavin doesn’t know how else to reciprocate, other than to basically have an open-door policy, such as it were, and try not to be stuck on late shift on their usual days.

            Two months pass blissfully and then Niles is annoyed when he stops by. He has a bottle of scotch with him and barges in when Gavin opens the door. He pulls out two glasses from the kitchen cabinet and pours a glass before throwing it back easily. Then he pours two more glasses and goes back to the kitchen table, sitting down. The bottle is by his hands, the glass between his fingers. He’s glaring at the woodgrain as if he’s ready to have an argument. The cats are all sleeping, so they’re not around to bug Gavin and Niles.

            Gavin shuts the door and walks over, taking the extra glass. “So uh… babe, what’s up? Something wrong?”

            “My idiot brother is marrying that… ugh.” Niles shudders and throws back the second glass.

            “Babe, uh, you can slow down.”

            Niles is already pouring the third glass.

            “He told me today. He was _hiding_ it. For _weeks_. And now I have to go and pretend to be happy for him. Ugh.” Niles glares at the glass and then pushes it away.

            Gavin doesn’t quite know what to do in this situation. So he awkwardly reaches out and touches Niles’ right hand.

            Niles snatches his hand back and glares.

            Gavin starts. “Sorry, I uh… I just… You’re upset and um…”

            “Did you know?” Niles demands, his focus fully on Gavin. “Did that… did _my brother’s mistake_ tell you that they were engaged?”

            “Um… no?” Gavin says, confused. “We don’t… we don’t talk that much about anything other than work.” He frowns. “I don’t think he’s wearing a ring or anything. Or at least I haven’t noticed.”

            Niles glares a bit longer, then puts his head down on the table. “Ugh. Now I have to _see_ them both… ugh… Life is a nightmare.”

            Gavin smiles. He wants to pat Niles on the shoulder or something, but doesn’t know how the man will react. “I mean, Anderson isn’t a _complete_ waste of a dude. And it’s not like you’ll be seeing each other all the time, right?”

            Niles pulls his head up and glares again. “Any time I see him is too much.”

            “…Oh.” Gavin looks around, not knowing what to do. He’s really itching for a smoke if Niles isn’t planning to push him over a table or something anytime soon. “You uh… wanna order in or something? I got a Chinese menu around here somewhere.”

            Niles frowns. “Are you trying to comfort me?”

            Gavin looks back and swallows. “I mean uh… I’m not sure what else to do, man. What uh… what do you want to do?”

            Niles watches him, then says, “I want to fuck you on this table.”

            They move the scotch and glasses, and grab the condoms and lube Gavin left by the remote control on the coffee table – too many times on the couch by now – and it’s pretty good, despite how annoyed Niles was. Gavin is on his back on the table, his legs clamped around Niles’ middle as Niles thrusts into him. Gavin moans loudly when he comes, and Niles makes a repressed “Nnnnn” sound when he does, pushing into Gavin and leaning over him.

            They’re both resting on Gavin’s bed later, with cats wandering around looking for a place to settle and Gavin vaguely still in want of a smoke, but too lazy and comfortable to grab some cigarettes. Niles looks up at the ceiling and eventually says, “You’re not really how I imagined a homicide detective being.”

            Gavin is on his side, his arm around the oldest cat – a wise and sleepy tortoiseshell fluffball – and petting her, but he looks up at Niles, who is on his back. There’s one cat on either side of Niles’ stomach, and he has his arms around them, petting them as they purr. The fourth cat is buried in the pillows, asleep. Niles has a blank expression on his face.

            “Well uh… how did you imagine me being?”

            “To be honest I have no real idea. It’s not a subject I think about much. More smoking, which is admittedly somewhat true. More liquor, also somewhat true. Gruffer. I’ve met a few cop parents at the school, but I don’t interact with them much. Anderson is probably the longest interaction I’ve had with any of them before I met you.”

            “So I take it… whatever image you had was just pretty negative?”

            Niles huffs. “Obviously.”

            “I’d say you’re not like how I imagined a librarian, but frankly I’ve never really interacted with librarians and like… it’s never crossed my mind, either. I mean… I guess there’s probably some sexy librarian porn on my computer somewhere, but that’s about it.”

            Niles turns his head to Gavin and grins. “Researching? Or is it just a kink?”

            Gavin feels his face redden but gets out, “No. I just… you work with what’s out there, you know?”

            “Good, because we are not having sex in the library.”

            “Oh my god.” Gavin puts his head in the pillows, making the previously sleeping cat grumble. “I have a negative desire to do that.”

            Niles makes that huff laughter of his. “That’s not a thing. You can’t have a negative desire to do something. Just no desire.”

            “Well whatever is no desire multiplied or something. I’m a cop, not a grammar expert.”

            “Now see, here’s what I’m saying. How many cops know the word ‘grammar’? I bet Anderson doesn’t.”

            Gavin shakes his head. “I mean his kid is in school so he probably does if he helps with homework.”

            “Touché.”

            Gavin rolls onto his back, moving the cat over so she’s leaning on his bare stomach. She grumbles, but settles and starts purring after some steady petting.

            “Do you and Connor like… talk about this? I mean I assume you do and I don’t like… wanna pry or whatever…”

            “…A bit, yes. We do talk about it. Sort of.”

            “Well that sounded lame. Were there actual words in the conversation or just like… glaring? Or maybe punching? Do you do that? I do.”

            Niles huffs and says, “You are so… stereotypical on that front. Connor and I don’t just… beat each other up physically when we have disagreements. We discuss things, like civilized people.”

            “So there _is_ actual discussion going on about this? I mean if they’re getting married, he’ll be your brother-in-law. You’ll probably have like… family dinners together or something.”

            Niles groans and shuts his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

            “Well if you want to like… fuck it out, that’s fine with me, man. But that’s not going to fix your issues.”

            “I’ve tried to explain to Connor on so many occasions that this is a mistake. That he’s ruining his life for this walking lump of a man.”

            “Well Connor seems to like him.”

            Niles turns his head to glare at Gavin. “Are you taking _his_ side?”

            “No, I’m—look, I’m on your side, man. But he’s your brother, right? There’s _something_ he likes about Anderson.”

            “The physicality.”

            Gavin puts his right hand on my face. “Oh my god please do not just… I do not need to be thinking about my partner that way.”

            “Well if I have to live in this nightmare, might as well share.”

            “ _Anyway_ , they’re getting married. Maybe it’s just for the good dick or something, I don’t know. But you like your brother. You’ve made that clear. Like maybe just… let him tell you why he likes Anderson enough to put a ring on it. Maybe that’ll help things.”

            “Are you trying to be a therapist?”

            “No. I just… you’re unhappy. And I think that’s how they usually handle this shit on TV or whatever? Listening and what not?”

            Niles rolls his eyes. “You’re a _TV therapist_.”

            “Naw, I’m just a police detective who does interrogations. Listening to people is a thing. It’s how you learn shit. Sometimes. But you can’t do that with Connor and I wouldn’t like… suggest you take him to an interrogation room or whatever. But I do know of too many scenarios where a loved one thought they were doing what was best for someone else, even when it seems to be against the wishes of that someone else. And that… that never turns out well. At least when it hits my desk.”

            “I’m not planning to murder Anderson. Or Connor.”

            “I know. I’m just…” Gavin scratches his head. “I’m really not good at this. Sorry.”

            “It’s surprisingly reasonable,” Niles replies. “And I imagine you are trying to make me feel better. So I appreciate it.”

            Gavin looks over at Niles in surprise and chuckles. “Good because usually by this point people I talk to have been pointed in the direction of a therapist…”

            Niles laughs. “You’re fine. Don’t leave your job. But you’re fine.” Niles turns his head over to look at Gavin. “Really. Thank you.”

            Gavin flushes a bit, but he smiles back all the same.

            “I also realized that if I bring you to the wedding, it could piss Lieutenant Anderson off.”

            “You’re terrible. Wait… why would I come with you to the wedding?”

            “Well I mean… we are…” Niles frowns. “Dating…?”

            “But isn’t it like a long ways out?”

            “A few months at best apparently.”

            “So you think… _this_ …” Gavin gestures between them, “Is going to last that long?”

            “Are you preparing to dump me, detective?”

            “No I…” Gavin scratched his head. “I guess I always wondered if we were dating or just like… friends with benefits…ing… Or maybe acquaintances with benefits?”

            “Well I’ve thought of it as dating. Would you rather just be ‘acquaintances’ with benefits?”

            “No! I mean… no. You’ve been talking to me more and that… that’s nice. Although I mean, if you ever wanted to do anything other than just like… fuck, that’s cool, I guess.”

            “Is the sex that bad?”

            “Are you fucking kidding me? Hell no!”

            Niles smiles. Just a little. “Well going with me to the wedding would be more than just fucking.”

            “…That’s true. I guess, I mean… yeah, I’ll go with you. If we’re still together by then. Not that I want to go anywhere or anything. Like without you.” Gavin is babbling so much he completely misses Niles sitting up and leaning over to kiss him. The older cat grumbles louder and squeezes out from under them, hopping off the bed and wandering off.

            When Niles breaks the kiss, Gavin is breathing harder.

            “We should put the cats away,” Niles says, reaching out to lightly stroke Gavin’s face.

            “Wh-what? Oh. Oh yeah.”

**Author's Note:**

> I do also love HankCon! Niles just isn't really a fan in this work and Gavin couldn't care less.


End file.
